Your Source for Fluid Power and Industrial Automation Solutions

At John Henry Foster

We help you maximize your bottom line. Since 1944, we have been helping our customers minimize production interruptions and maximize efficiency with the same care and expertise as if it were our own business.

Producing high-quality products and services is challenging and we know how hard it can be to find someone who wants your business to succeed as much as you do. Go from wasted time, money and effort dealing with the other guys, to consistently maximizing production and minimizing costs with top-notch products and services. With John Henry Foster, you gain peace of mind with a lifelong, trusted partner.

Our Products

Quickly getting the best off-the-shelf parts for repairs and maintenance, or custom-fabricated products for your unique applications should always be a phone call away.

We understand the hassle of finding the most precise and durable components available, which is why we stock $8 million of inventory of the best, most-trusted brands. Along with your service advisors, we have 100+ years of engineering and fabrication experience to ensure we either find you the right product or build what you need. The JHF expertise, selection, reliability, and availability are on your side
24/7.

Our Services

To more easily run your business, service needs to go beyond just a phone call for repairs or maintenance. Your goals and metrics are an ever-moving target, so we know that you need a total system to support your inventory, efficiency, value-added and customized needs.

With the industry’s largest sales and service staff in the Midwest, we’ll work together to 1. Understand your challenges, 2. Identify opportunities, and 3. Add value to your operation. With John Henry Foster,
you have a 24/7 service partner you can trust.

Training & Resources

Your Partner in Performance Since 1944

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The Journey of John Henry Foster

John Henry Foster, born in Rhode Island, was a “pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps” kind of entrepreneur. He was a born salesman and an even better friend to all who knew him. With an abundance of charisma, charm and business intuition, he took his vision of becoming a businessman and turned it into a successful, long-standing industrial distributorship, now employing over 170 employees and going into its 75th year. John Henry passed away in 1986 but his memory lives on in all the lives touched by his graciousness, ambition and his vision.

A Man With A Vision

John Henry Foster began his career, selling pneumatic equipment out of an Airstream Trailer. The trailer, filled with working displays of his products, was pulled behind his old, black Cadillac. John Henry drove south in the winter and north in the summer, calling on industrial manufacturers, making a lasting impression with his distinctive sales approach. “You can’t sell from an empty wagon” was more than just his favorite saying, it was John Henry Foster’s way of taking care of business as a traveling manufacturer’s representative. He took pride in having what his customers needed, when they needed it.

Expanding the Business

Midwest Expansion

"If you take care of the business, the business will take care of you." Growing rapidly, John Henry Foster opened the second distributorship on North Grand Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri across from Fairgrounds Park.

Foster Manufacturing

John Henry Foster began manufacturing his own line of interchangeable, quick-disconnect couplings and formed a separate company called Foster Manufacturing. Eventually, John Henry sold Foster manufacturing but it remains one of JHF’s major suppliers.

A New Location

Building Networks

JHF began representing Humphrey. Founded in 1901, Humphrey’s history dates back to the commercialization of gaslight products. Today, Humphrey is recognized as a leading producer of pneumatics products, serving organizations worldwide.

A Company-Changing Hire

Bob Gau was hired as Sales Trainee. He quickly grew to be top Salesman and in, 1966 was promoted to General Sales Manager. As he gained experience, Bob developed a unique system for identifying outside sales candidates and their potential. He was looking for “people who are assertive, have drive, and remain focused.” These criteria, along with Bob’s own instincts about the people he interviewed, contributed largely to the company’s successful hiring practices. Bob hired many of John Henry Foster Hall-of-Famers and great successes such as, Joe Rocklage (1968), Tom Holtgrave (1968), Henry Herbst (1972), and Tony Certa (1974).

Gast Manugacturing Joins JHF Product Portfolio

Sheffer Engineering Joins JHF Supplier Family

John Henry Foster got the opportunity to partner with Sheffer when our competitor, who was, at the time distributing Sheffer Cylinders, took on Sheffer’s competition. Sheffer Pneumatic and Hydraulic Cylinders are the industry’s go-to cylinder specialists and focus on one thing and one thing only- cylinders. We proudly continue to distribute Sheffer products, today.

Norgren-IMI Joins JHF Product Portfolio

New Products, New Partners

The company - already well established as a distributor of pneumatic equipment - expanded into hydraulics by taking on Racine Hydraulics (which later become Bosch…and then, Rexroth). With a responsibility to of John Henry Foster’s suppliers, a unique approach was implemented. “All of our people sell all of our products, all of the time.” We still believe in this approach today.

A New Home

In 1974 John Henry Foster office and warehouse relocated to 10740 Midwest Industrial Blvd. in St. Louis. With the help of his now 40 employees, John Henry Foster grew to represent the number one manufacturers in pneumatic equipment. John Henry Foster made its reputation on the absolute dedication of its employees - to both customers and vendors.

Noshok Joins JHF Supplier Family

For over half a century NOSHOK has been a pioneer in our industry by continually providing innovative solutions, unparalleled customer support, outstanding value and a broad offering of premium quality measurement solutions and gauges.

Bosch Rexroth Joins JHF Supplier Family

John Henry Foster partners with Bosch Rexroth as a distributor. Bosch Rexroth is one of the leading specialists in drive and control technologies. The company supplies tailored solutions for driving, controlling and moving.

A New Future

After running the company for sixteen years, Bob Gau was named President of John Henry Foster. The company’s 50 employees looked to Bob as their leader- as did its suppliers and customers. A year later, Bob and Kathy Gau purchased the business from John Henry Foster and instituted an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). “As we considered our future and how to ensure our new company would succeed, we knew two things: that we could not do it alone- our employees would have to help us make it happen- and this would be a family business with family principles, morals, and values.”

Schroeder Industries Joins JHF Supplier Family

With a need for quality filtration products, John Henry Foster takes on products manufactured by Schroeder Industries. Schroeder Industries is a leader in fluid conditioning technology. With over 65 years of filtration experience, Schroeder designs, manufactures and markets innovative filtration solutions for hydraulic, lubrication, fuel and process systems.

JHF Signs Distributor Agreement with Sun Hydraulics

JHF and Sun Hydraulics partner together. Sun Hydraulics is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves and manifolds that control force, speed and motion as integral components in fluid power systems. Since 1970, Sun Hydraulics has built a foundation for delivering consistent, sustainable, excellent performance.

The Next Generation

In 1991 John Henry Foster Company moved headquarters again, to a 65,000-square-foot facility on seven acres at 4700 LeBourget Drive. The entire company participated in the move, which took place over a weekend so as not to inconvenience any customers. “The goal was that on Friday afternoon, we would answer the phone in the old building until 4:30; and on Monday morning, when we answered the phone in the new building, we would know where everything was,” explained Henry Herbst.

Expanding Capabilities

To maintain its dominance in the market in Missouri and Illinois, John Henry Foster grew it’s capabilities in the direction of technical assembly. New departments such as value added, electrical engineering and hydraulic engineering allowed JHF to better respond to customers’ needs.

ISO Certification

Reinvesting in the business and its people remains a key priority for John Henry Foster. With over $35 Million dollars in sales and nearly 40% employee-owned, John Henry Foster became ISO 9001 certified, began an e-commerce initiative and added a 401K program. We continue to follow the standard of excellence, today.

JHF Welcomes Prince Manufacturing

Prince Manufacturing is a U.S. manufacturer of hydraulic components specializing in cylinders, mobile valves, gear pumps and motors. Getting their start in 1941, as a small machine shop, Prince has grown through investing in their capabilities, product designs and their people.

Modern Expansion

Expanding for the future with a 35,000 square foot addition that would house a retail store, an assembly area for hydraulic power units, warehousing larger inventory and a specific area for value-added projects.

A New CEO

Bob Gau retires, naming his son, Rich, as CEO. Rich, like many of his siblings, worked at JHF during high school and college summer vacations. It was during this time he realized his love for hands-on, mechanical work. He went on to get his degree in mechanical engineering and started his career in the fluid power industry with Bimba Manufacturing. Rich came to work for John Henry Foster Company in 1992 as a sales trainee. Soon after, he became an outside salesman, taking over Ed Clukies territory.

John Henry Foster Company Parters with Festo

John Henry Foster now represents Festo. Festo is a leading global manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process control and factory automation solutions. Celebrating over 40 years of innovation in the United States and over 80 years globally, Festo continuously elevates the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions.

Growing for the Future

John Henry Foster has over 160 dedicated employee owners who now own 60% of the company. At John Henry Foster, we want to leave a lasting impression on our customers, as well as to provide for our employee owners. To accomplish this, we simply follow our founder and honor his motto, "If you take care of the business, the business will take care of you."

We Are ISO Certified

Striving for excellence in meeting your requirements, John Henry Foster completed the International Organization for standardization- ISO 9001: 2015 certification. This certification provides a host of benefits both internally and to our deserving customers.

What Our Clients Say

For one thing, John Henry Foster is very easy to work with. Their salesmen are very knowledgeable and very easy to work with. They're a reputable company; we deal with them already and it was just very smooth. They pretty much ran the program: they put everything together. They...

John Eldridge

My company, Perma Jack, has been dealing with JHF since the 80's. Since my first dealings with them, they have always gone the extra mile in getting the perfect fit for the hydraulics that I use. My rep, Dan Griffin is in regular contact with me to stay on...

John Langenbach

Our company has used JHF for several years and have always had excellent service from everyone we have come into contact with. I personally have been ordering for my company for one year now and I have had nothing but great service. Returns are quick and simple, billing, ordering,...

Kathee Vander Zanden

I have been utilizing John Henry Foster as a valued supplier for over 10 years in various roles at several companies. In addition to the excellent product lines that JHF offers, their technical support and other services are a great added value. Inside and outside sales and VMI personnel...

Al Wittlich

Walked in & was out the door withtin 20 minutes with a new hose built!